There are few shows that rival the chemistry and energy of "Inside the NBA" on TNT. Basketball fans love the back-and-forths between host Ernie Johnson and analysts Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley.
But the show's future is now seriously in jeopardy. Turner lost media rights to NBA games to ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Amazon, meaning networks like TNT and TBS will no longer carry NBA games starting in the 2025-26 season.
Without NBA games on the network, there are questions about whether the show will continue. Barkley had previously suggested he would use an opt-out in his contract if Turner lost NBA rights, and such a departure could signal a major shift for the show.
Though the show has been massively popular, viewership could wane if the show's biggest stars all leave and if TNT does not have any games that precede or follow the show. The panel has been the same since 2011, and it might be difficult for fans to imagine the show without the current quartet.
Here's what you need to know about the future of "Inside the NBA" following the shifting media rights.
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What will happen to 'Inside the NBA?'
One of the analysts on the show has all but stated his future plans even before Turner lost NBA rights. Barkley signed a 10-year deal with TNT in 2022, but he added an opt-out should Turner lose its NBA license.
"I said, ‘If you guys lose the NBA, I want to make sure that I can get out of here.’ So I am actually in a really great position,” Barkley said in an interview on 850 ESPN Cleveland.
“Listen, I love TNT, they’ve been great to me ... I wanted to make sure that if we lost the NBA in two years, I could be a free agent.”
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Johnson would seem unlikely to head out, even after TNT lost NBA rights. Johnson reportedly will stay with the network, according to the Sports Business Journal, with one source saying, "He is Turner Sports. Period."
There was additional reporting that even if Barkley were to leave, O'Neal might not necessarily follow given his other interests, per SBJ. O'Neal has also publicly expressed a desire to become an owner of an NBA team, telling the DeVos family, which owns the Magic, to "give me a call" when they want him to quit TNT during his number retirement ceremony in Orlando.
MORE: Where will Shaquille O'Neal land after TNT loses NBA rights?
Smith has not publicly stated anything about his future with the show.
Even if the analysts reunited on a different network, Barkley said the show would still be different without the program's host since 1989.
“Our show won’t be the same without Ernie. Ernie is the most important person on our show,” Barkley said on "The Dan Patrick Show."
Barkley also speculated that it might not even be up to Smith, O'Neal and Barkley if Turner lost NBA rights.
“Us other three are screwed, basically," Barkley told Patrick. "Not necessarily screwed, but we won’t have a job.”
With those rights now officially sold off, the wait is on to see what will become of "Inside the NBA."
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Charles Barkley net worth
Barkley has a net worth of approximately $60 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
His 2022 contract with TNT is reportedly worth upward of $100 million over the course of 10 years, per Front Office Sports.